Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Is it right to say Intention (Niyat) for prayer in one`s own mother tongue (that is in the language that one understands best). What is the best way to say the intention for prayer, to say it in Arabic language or in one`s own language. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Make verbal intention for prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

As much as the making of a ‘neeyah’ or intention is an obligatory act and rite of prayer, there is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby the Prophet (saws) verbally declared his intention to offer a particular prayer.

The intention one makes in one’s heart to offer a particular prayer more than suffices to fulfill the requirement of making the ‘Neeyah’ or intention for prayer….if one has made intention in one’s heart to offer a particular prayer, does the ‘wudu’ in preparation for the prayer, approaches the ‘masjid’ or stands on the prayer mat in the direction of the ‘qibla’ to start their prayer, etc….there is absolutely no need for the believer to now verbally declare his intention for prayer! The intention one made in one’s heart to offer a particular prayer more than suffices to fulfill the requirement of making the ‘neeyah’ or intention before the prayer….all one has to do now is raise their hands above their shoulders, declare the ‘takbeer’ (Allah-o-Akbar) to signal the start of their prayers, and offer the prayer they intended in their hearts to pray.

To make the ‘wudu’ in preparation for the prayer, stand on the prayer mat or rows in congregation in the direction of the ‘qibla’ and then verbally declare that one is about to offer ‘so and so’ prayer, with ‘so and so’ number of rakahs, etc. before one raises one’s hands to declare the ‘takbeer’ is definitely not from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan